Living Without
by xXLiFeGoEsOnXx
Summary: Jack and Sue are sent on a mission in the mountains to gather clues about a notorious serial killer who has resurfaced. Can they survive the killer...and their own emotions? JS pairing
1. Prologue to Murder

**This is my first Sue Thomas fan fic, and it takes place a few months before the series finale. Don't worry, I will post things in relation to the actual show…this is just setting the scene for the new case. **

Prologue

Krysta skidded to a stop at the old willow tree, kneeled over as she gasped for breath. _I can't wait for this triathlon to be over. I am getting so sick of training! _After catching her breath, Krysta shook her head stubbornly and continued foreword, determined to run the trail until it ended. She had never been a quitter, and this was a hell of a time to begin.

Her senses went on full alert when she heard the snap of a twig and a rustle of clothing and saw the faint and blurred movement of a shadow in the brush. The image in her peripheral vision caused her to whirl around suddenly. Her feet didn't move as fast as the rest of her and she tumbled backwards and landed on her butt. _Why am I so paranoid? It's a park for goodness sakes, there is probably another jogger. Or an animal or something. _

Krysta picked herself up off the ground and closed off her mind, determined to keep herself levelheaded and calm. This was only the first month of training, if she was getting scared now she would never be able to continue.

Krysta felt a hand on her shoulder and screamed, bringing up her hands to fight. She had never taken a karate class in her life, but she hoped that her stance would confuse the attacker. Watching Charlie's Angels a million times with her sister had made it so she could at least look like she knew what she was doing, but her skill level was nothing.

Krysta looked at her attacker and relaxed, feeling foolish at reacting so strongly before seeing who the person was. She hadn't known him for long, but she did know that this was an opportunity he would use to tease her about forever. If he had the chance, she wasn't particularly found of him and didn't plan on spending much time in his presence. There was just something…off about him, and she couldn't really name what it was. He was just different.

"Oh. It's just you. I-I thought, you're going to think this is silly, but I thought I was being attacked or something." Krysta laughed nervously and looked at him, puzzled, when he didn't join her.

"You should learn to trust your instincts." His cold voice shocked her and a shiver ran down her spine, a shiver of dread and warning. A shiver that told her to run as fast as she could and never look back. She managed to sprint forward, but he grabbed her ankle and dragged her along the floor. She screamed and dragged her nails on the grass, but there was no leverage and he over took her easily.

Krysta looked up long enough to see a dagger glistening in the light of the full moon and the zealous expression on his face. A white hot pain shot through her abdomen, and her world went black.


	2. The Case Unfolds and a Danger Returns

Chapter 1

Ted Garrets face was grim as he entered the bullpen early Monday morning. Everyone inside seemed to pick up on his mood and the noise stifled. Myles stopped bickering with Bobby about paperwork, Lucy stopped filing the endless amounts of paper stacked up on her desk, and Tara removed her head phones. Even Sue Thomas, who was deaf, managed to pick up on the absence of noise in the room and immediately ended her online conversation.

SUE: Sorry, that was David.

Sue was quiet, careful not to look at Jack as she spoke. She didn't want to explain the complications of her feelings, both for Jack and David, and the best way to ignore something is to pretend it doesn't even exist.

JACK: New case, Garret? Jack glanced over at Sue briefly, wondering about the hidden level of guilt she had laced in to David's name, before redirecting his vision to his tense supervisor. He, personally, hated David just because David was involved with Sue. But Sue didn't sound so happy with him either. Jack shook his head slightly and, again, tried to concentrate on his supervisor. Garret always looked tough and stern, it was part of the job, but now he just looked down right furious.

MYLES: Now where would you get that from, Jack?

Myles said sarcastically, his normal tone, but also shifted to look at Garret closer. He braced himself for a huge case, the kind of case that would take days to solve. He could just feel them coming, and this one felt like a freight train.

GARRET: Young female, early twenties, murdered in the park last night. Her body was found under a pile of leaves.

MYLES: While I am sure this is a tragic situation for her relatives, murder is police business. Why are we involved?

GARRET: Because the terms at which she was found, and what was found with her. She had been stabbed in the stomach and hollowed out, but other than that she had no other marks on her. She died of blood loss. But this was found on the body, pinned on her shirt in a plastic bag.

Garret placed a metal object on the table and Sue walked over to pick it up. She turned the object over in her hand and looked puzzled, not understanding the meaning.

SUE: It's a monopoly game piece. What is this supposed to mean?

She glanced around the bullpen and saw Jack's face begin to pale. Myles slammed his fist in to the filing cabinet and Bobby and Tara shared a long look, a look full of unhappy thoughts and horrible case file memories.

JACK: It's a calling piece left by the most notorious serial killer since Jack the Ripper. He is referred to as "Slicker", because he has never been caught. He was last heard of twenty years ago.

MYLES: We studied this case in school, I remember it because I was fascinated by how many times this man got away from the law. The agents in charge of his case almost had him once, but he killed someone close to an agent on the team and diverted their attention.

SUE: What are you saying, that Slicker is alive and well and could be killing anywhere, at anytime? Do you think he killed this girl?

JACK: I'm saying that he is alive and well and killing again. That's his mark, his signature. He's back and just as dangerous as before.

GARRET: That's what we managed to conclude down at the office. We need to catch this guy, now. He has killed over forty men and women in his time and he needs to be caught before he can resume his pattern. If he rises back to his former level, he will be almost impossible to catch. He's smart, very smart and a slick and cunning as a cobra.

BOBBY: And if we don't catch him before he kills again, he will have alerted America that a serial killer is on the loose and some how it will slip that the FBI can't catch him. Anyone could be prey at anytime, because his patterns are unknown.

JACK: Everyone be careful, very careful. He likes to strike close to home, to confuse and diverse the law enforcement so he can continue on his way.

Jack looked at Sue when he spoke. He was speaking to everyone, but directing the most emotion to her. She blushed slightly and tried to pretend not to notice the extra emphasis.

D: We need to catch this guy, fast. All we know is that he kills on the moon cycles. A full moon was last night, so we have less than a week to track this guy down. Or another person will die.


	3. Undercover

Chapter 2

Bobby walked over to the coffee stand for the millionth time that night. Ever since Slicker had been up and about again, the whole team had been ordered to stay overnight. This case had to be broken as soon as possible and no alone time was given until something was found.

TARA: I got something!

Everyone fairly sprinted to Tara's desk, eager to find something so they could get some sleep. Jack saw that Sue had nodded off at her desk, so he took the responsibility of waking her up. Shaking her shoulder gently, he guided a weary Sue to Tara's desk.

Sue was worse off than anyone, with the exception of Jack, the team leader on this case. Sue had been recruited by SOG to read over some old tapes from Slicker's killing locations. They had hoped she would have picked up some lip action that could have tied in to the murders. It was a long stretch that had proved useless. Sue had learned two things from THAT four hour escapade; the guy was a ghost and technology has really improved in the last twenty years. There was absolutely nothing in the database, no evidence or DNA besides those Monopoly pieces, no tapes, nothing but the victims' names.

MYLES: Alright, Tara worked her magic at least. Did you find a crack in Slickers illustrious armor?

TARA: Not a crack, but I did find the name of an agent who worked on this case. Name is Steven Malcolm and he might be able to fill in some of the spaces. Says here that he knew Slicker as well as anyone, which is why he was hit with the worst backlash.

Sue looked at Tara quizzically, and she finger spelled S-T-E-V-E-N M-A-L-C-O-L-M slowly. It took her a few tries, but Sue eventually deciphered Tara's message.

TARA: Steven Malcolm is a former sniper in the military and a retired FBI agent. He is the last known FBI agent who worked on the Slicker case while it was open.

Jack picked up a few of the records Tara had printed out and passed them around the bullpen.

JACK: It says here that Malcolm's stepsister was the last known victim, so he might be reluctant to help share information.

BOBBY: We need to be easy on the guy. Don't scare him or press him too hard, because we could resurface old emotions and never get anything from this guy. We need his information.

D: He's our only hope at any chance at Slicker. Malcolm lives in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. I want two agents packed and ready to make a little house trip.

BOBBY: If we are looking for a gentle touch, Sue is in and Myles is out. Jack, why don't you accompany the lovely sheila. She will get the most information out of him, and you know the most about this case.

LUCY: And Myles needs to stay far away from a grieving sibling. Especially one who we shall need in the near future.

MYLES: I'm offended, but happy to stay put and fend off the Slickers next attack when needed. While Sue and Jack are questioning a former agent, I shall be here fighting the killer. The real work is in the field of battle.

BOBBY: Your next battle is that ridiculous vending machine in the hallway. We are fresh out of coffee, and we aren't allowed to leave the building. Fill your pockets full of quarters and get enough coffee to last the night. Make yourself useful, for once.

D: Sue, Jack, follow me to the garage. On our way I will update you on your aliases and provide the perfect travel vehicle.

LUCY: Aliases? Is this another undercover assignment?

Sue looked up from Lucy's lips and caught the familiar gleam of matchmaking in her friend's eyes. Sue shot Lucy a forbidding message, silently pleading her to keep her mouth shut about this match making business. She and Jack were just friends, would always be just friends. Work required that, and she wasn't even sure if Jack liked her. The more Lucy tried to match them up, the more Sue got her hopes built up. And the harder they crashed.

D: Yes, they can't exactly confront Malcolm with their current professions. The FBI brought a huge blow to his family and he would refuse to share anything to a law enforcement member. Jack and Sue need innocent alibis that can help Malcolm open up with his Slicker knowledge without causing damage.

The second their footsteps stopped echoing, Lucy eyed Tara excitedly and marched over to her desk. While Tara was less inclined to match make, she did enjoy listening to Lucy's wild ideas.

LUCY: I wonder what their aliases will be. What ever they are, this should prove to be an interesting trip. The two of them, alone, assuming foreign identities, in a different state. This should prove to be a very interesting trip.

If only she knew.


	4. The Simons

Chapter 3

Jack and Sue rode in silence, each nervous for their new assignment for many of the same reasons. Levi was perched in the backseat chewing on his bunny, oblivious of the fact that they were going on a twelve hour car ride.

JACK thinking: _This guy could be dangerous. He lost his sister to a serial killer and has been holed up in a hidden cabin. This sounds dangerous and I really don't want Sue to come along. Steven Malcolm could get angry if we are prying and if he retaliates…..we need to be prepared._

SUE thinking: _I feel so bad for Steven Malcolm. If one of my brothers was killed…I don't know how I would cope. I wonder how well he is going to deal with us prying in to his private feelings._

JACK: Sue.

Jack tapped her shoulder and Sue turned to look at him. He was driving, so she could only see the profile of his face, but that was enough to read his lips.

JACK: We need to come up with a story. Garret said our names are…

He handed her a fake ID from the front pocket of his coat and she read the name, puzzled and slightly amused. The FBI certainly had a sense of humor.

SUE: Carly Simon? Does Garret know that this person already exists?

Sue tried not to laugh as she spoke, but it was hard. Who knew that the FBI could be so unprofessional? Not only did the Bureau give her an already used ID, but it belonged to a famous singer.

JACK: Yeah, this was the only one Randy would let us use at such short notice. Some obsessed fan or something…..

He shrugged his shoulders slightly as he drove, glancing at her from the corner of his eye to make sure she saw his reaction. Sure, it was a little unconventional, but it's not like this guy is connected to the outside world.

SUE: Who are you? And what about Levi? Can we bring him along with us? We kind of have to at this point, but I don't want to jeopardize the case.

JACK: Garret didn't say anything about Levi, so as far as I know it's safe to bring him. My name is…

He fished around in his pocket, trying to keep one eye on the road as he tried to locate his ID. Finally finding it, he opened it just enough to see the name.

Jack: I am…Roger Simon.

SUE: Looks like Garret married us again.

Her voice was deliberately flat of any emotion, whilst her heart was beating faster and her mind was whirring at 100 miles an hour.

Sue thinking: _Married to Jack again…I don't think I could handle it. The first time, it was hard enough not making any time of romantic gestures on such close quarters for such a long time. I honestly don't think I can do it again. I just…love him too much to have to pretend we are together. _

The car fell silent, and Levi barked as if he could feel the tension, too. Jack was anxious to bring her out of her thoughts, because as nervous as he was playing her husband again, he was excited, too. Being that close and intimate with Sue, even if it was for an assignment, was a treat that didn't come often.

JACK: Oh, I almost forgot. Here, if we are going to be married we need these.

Sue watched Jack open his glove box and take out a long glasses case that was shoved in the back, almost as if it was being concealed. Jack handed her the case as he shifted his attention back to the road.

JACK: The first bag inside, open it.

Sue opened the case and took out a small, white jewelry bag of soft leather. Inside was their wedding rings, her engagement ring too, from the Areef Dessah case.

SUE: I can't believe you kept these!

Her voice was fully of awe and emotion, raw pleasure and, if he had looked deep enough, love. Sue looked at him, confused and touched. She had wanted to buy the rings, had seriously thought about it, but had decided against it. She was glad she hadn't bought them, because he had! She felt elated at this new discovery, but bit her lip and tried to act unaffected.

JACK : Well-I…"

Jack had bought the rings because it was as close to together he and Sue had ever gotten, and it wasn't something he wanted to forget. It was something he wanted to strive for. But how was he going to explain those rings without letting it slip that he loved her, and wanted anything that could remind him of her nearby?

His response was to turn bright red. Sue laughed, relieving the built-up emotions for both of them.

SUE: Here, give me your hand.

Jack shifted so he was driving with his right hand and held out his left, trying not to look anywhere but the road. Those rings brought up too many questions that he wasn't sure he could answer just yet

She slipped on his ring and then hers, trying to ignore the questions that have been budding ever since she found out they were going to be "married" again. Trying to ignore the spark that had played across her skin when she had touched his hand.

Jack, feeling those sparks too, tried desperately to change the subject to something they both were more willing to discuss.

JACK: Garret said that we had to pretend to be lost hikers in order for Steven Malcolm to feel unthreatened. We are hiking and got lost, saw his cabin, and went inside for directions. Hopefully he will let us stay a little.

SUE: How are we going to ask him about Slicker? Most people wouldn't be connecting the dots from the previous cases to this new murder.

JACK: We are just going to have to wing it and hope he doesn't see through us. If he does…I honestly don't think he will attack us, but Garret did say to be careful. Slicker and the FBI caused him and his family a lot of pain.

SUE: Basically, keep our cover and stay low profile or who knows how far out this guy could go.


	5. Blushing Cheeks

CHAPTER 4

The rest of the trip was mildly interesting. Jack and Sue perked up after lunch and Sue began telling her story, her whole life story, to Jack. He seemed interested, and Sue found his level of interest and focus astounding. He was actually listening to her…nobody really listened to Sue, not her parents, none of her friends ever had. Lucy listened, but Sue never shared her stories with Lucy. Sue never shared her stories with anyone. Life as a deaf girl in a prejudiced school and community was not easy and it was not pain-free, emotionally or physically, and Sue had found herself swallowing painful memories countless times. For some reason, Jack made her want to tell her stories, tell stories that she hadn't told anyone in her entire life. The feeling of ultimate trust she had for him scared her, but it also made her hope and yearn for something more that friendship. There was no way she could feel so safe with him, so protected and comfortable, unless he felt something to the same extent. Right?

The sun was just beginning to duck behind the trees when Sue and Jack parked the car at the foot of a long and winding hill. Jack helped a sleepy Sue out of the car and guided her and Levi over to a large tree. He then proceeded in unloading the car. She watched in awe, utterly impressed by the amounts of stuff they had managed to cram in to such a tiny car. Sue shivered as the brisk wind swirled around her and pulled her coat closer, eyeing the massive quantities of luggage with a weary eye.

SUE: What do we need all this for?

JACK: This is the end of King of Prussia. Steven lives up the hill, and we can't take a car on that steep of a cliff. Garrett gave me some camping gear…it will help keep us alive and also add to our cover as "campers".

SUE: I don't hike…its almost dark…how are we going to get all the way to the top of the hill?

JACK: I have a tent…we are just going to have to camp out for the night. Hopefully there is a flat area somewhere up there.

Sue felt her cheeks redden and she felt a lump rise in her throat. She glanced around the bundles and came to an embarrassing conclusion.

SUE: Umm, Jack…There is only one sleeping bag here. There are two of us…

Sue knew what she wanted, what she would never even voice if her life depended on it. What she felt, what she wanted, had to be so far from his feelings towards her she would never dare to speak them. It was better playing it safe, not saying anything. Being friends is better than being nothing. Not quite what she wants, but better than nothing.

Jack looked at the ground, above him, at Levi and at the setting sun. Anywhere but at her. He knew that he could never say this right unless he didn't take his feelings in to play here.

JACK: Yeah. Garrett and I decided that most married couples don't go camping overnight with two sleeping bags…for the same reason that married couples don't sleep in separate bedrooms. I was afraid that Steven Malcolm would see our stuff, come to the conclusion that we are not married and not campers, and see that we are lying law enforcers. He will panic, resurface old memories, and we will never catch Slicker.

SUE: I don't like how backhanded we are acting with this case. I understand that he is hurting, but I don't like being so sneaky. It makes me feel like we are violating him somehow.

Sue shrugged, trying to get over the feeling that they were betraying Steven Malcolm somehow, and grabbed a backpack and the bag of food and leaned forward to take the tent.

JACK: Here, let me. You will need all your strength to keep alert on the trail tonight.

SUE: You are already carrying a backpack AND the sleeping bag! Not to mention your bag, too. And you have to watch out for me, making sure I don't tumble down the trail on my butt. At least let me take the tent…you won't be able to walk with that load.

JACK: And you have Levi. He will want to enjoy his time in the fresh air, after spending twelve hours in a car. He will be frisky, and I want you to be able to run after him.

Jack knew his explanation would not work with Sue. It was lame; he seriously just wanted to make sure she wouldn't get hurt. Carrying all this stuff would kill his back muscles, but it was better to have his back hurt than hers. That was his philosophy, anyways. He couldn't exactly TELL Sue that. She would never allow him to do that, and she would insist on helping out more. She was stubborn; she stuck to her ideas and didn't budge. It was one of the many things he loved about her, her ability to stay with something she believed in all the way.

JACK: Alright. I will carry the tent up the hill and when we leave, I will let you carry the tent down the hill.

SUE: Fine, then. Let's get started before it is totally dark. We want to be able to make as much headway as we can tonight, so we have less to do tomorrow.

Sue looked at Jack as he looked up and down the trails that we available for hiking.

SUE: Jack? Do you even know which trail leads to Steven Malcolm's house?

JACK: Not exactly. We are just going to have to pick one and hope for the best, there were no available maps for this area.

SUE: This is ironic. We might not even have to have covers tomorrow. When we find Steven, and we will, we will be lost campers.

JACK: We will find him. All of this wilderness has to end somewhere, right?

Jack spoke with as much confidence as he could muster up under the odds. He was hoping that after he convinced Sue, he could convince himself. The chances of coming out of a dark trek on a winding, foreign trail without any bodily harm was slim.

Not to mention how emotionally difficult it would be to figure out the sleeping arrangements. What he wanted to do, what he knew he shouldn't do, would be the exact thing that would case her pain. He didn't think she could like him, no, love him, as much as he loves her, but no one likes being told that they HAVE to stay away from someone else. And Jack knew that he had to sleep as far away from Sue as he could, which would be hard because there is one sleeping bag and one tent.

Jack shook his head and led the way up the left trail, trying to think happier thoughts and not concentrate about the negative aspects of this trip. The positive were that Jack and Sue would be spending days together, alone, and there was nothing better than that.

JACK thinking: _I will deal with the sleeping arrangements when the problem presents itself. Hopefully, we will find a place to pitch the tent. _

_Hopefully. _


End file.
